FREEHOLD – Freehold Borough officials will pay $660 toward a shared services agreement that involves eight police departments in western Monmouth County and the Monmouth County Sheriff’s Office.
On July 15, Borough Council members authorized the renewal of the agreement for the Western Monmouth Active Shooter Training Group.
The participants are the Allentown, Colts Neck, Englishtown, Freehold Borough, Freehold Township, Howell, Manalapan and Marlboro police departments, and the Monmouth County Sheriff’s Office.
This will be the second year the training group will be in effect. The initial agreement was authorized for 2018-19, with Freehold Township serving as the lead agency and provider. Freehold Township will continue to serve as the lead agency and provider for 2019-20.
The resolution states the agreement is beneficial to the municipalities by allowing interagency standardization of active shooter response protocols and by facilitating a rapid response and coordination in the event that officers from multiple agencies may be the first responders in neighboring communities for these types of incidents.
According to the resolution, 523 officers will participate the departments will pay a combined cost of $6,584. Freehold Borough will have 27 sworn (full-time) officers and three special officers for a total of 30 officers in the training group. The amount to be paid by the borough is $660.
For the remaining agencies, the Monmouth County Sheriff’s Department will contribute 120 officers (all sworn) and pay $1,000; Howell will contribute 108 officers (87 sworn, 21 special) and pay $1,000; Marlboro will contribute 83 officers (72 sworn, 11 special) and pay $1,000; Freehold Township will contribute 73 officers (66 sworn, seven special) and pay $1,000; Manalapan will contribute 67 officers (64 sworn, three special) and pay $1,000; Colts Neck will contribute 26 officers (23 sworn, three special) and pay $572; Englishtown will contribute 10 officers (seven sworn, three special) and pay $220; and Allentown will contribute six officers (five sworn, one special) and pay $132, according to the resolution.